"Sorey would be worth writing about for his drumming alone. The power, precision and inventiveness of his playing often draw comparisons with masters like Max Roach, Elvin Jones and Tony Williams. But Sorey refuses to play conventionally...He is also a brilliant trombonist and pianist, and in the last few years he has become as arresting a figure in contemporary classical and experimental new music as he is in jazz: a favorite of The New Yorker’s classical-music critic Alex Ross; one of few Black composers ever to be invited to the new-music festival in Darmstadt, Germany; and a recipient of a 2017 MacArthur 'genius' award. Sorey is one reason the worlds of jazz and classical music — of music that’s improvised and music that’s notated — seem less and less separate today."...
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"Sorey would be worth writing about for his drumming alone. The power, precision and inventiveness of his playing often draw comparisons with masters like Max Roach, Elvin Jones and Tony Williams. But Sorey refuses to play conventionally...He is also a brilliant trombonist and pianist, and in the last few years he has become as arresting a figure in contemporary classical and experimental new music as he is in jazz: a favorite of The New Yorker’s classical-music critic Alex Ross; one of few Black composers ever to be invited to the new-music festival in Darmstadt, Germany; and a recipient of a 2017 MacArthur 'genius' award. Sorey is one reason the worlds of jazz and classical music — of music that’s improvised and music that’s notated — seem less and less separate today."
— Adam Shatz, New York Times
"Pianist/home-made instrument player Cooper-Moore is not an easy player to figure out. He’s turned up on records with Bill Cole’s Untempered Ensemble, William Parker and in one particularly good incarnation of Susie Ibarra’s trio. He can play with Cecil Taylor-like intensity and range but he also presents other sides to his playing-radically different styles and temperaments-without seeming concerned at all with reconciling those styles."
— Aaron Steinberg, JazzTimes
Elysium Furnace Works is proud to announce our initial slate of performers for its 2026 season, beginning with the debut appearance together of Pulitzer Prize-winner and MacArthur Foundation "genius grant" fellow, drummer, composer and University of Pennsylvania professor Tyshawn Sorey, teaming up with the multi-instrumentalist, instrument builder, educator, Arts for Art Lifetime Achievement Honoree and creative music titan Cooper-Moore, teaming up for this truly historic, first-time encounter.
Tyshawn Sorey and Cooper-Moore will perform on Saturday, March 14 at 8 PM. This and all of EFW's currently scheduled concerts will all take place at the exquisite, 19th c. VBI Theatre of Cunneen-Hackett Arts Center, located 12 Vassar Street in Poughkeepsie, NY.
EFW's upcoming 2026 season includes:
April 11: "Strings & Things" w/ Jamaaladeen Tacuma and Mary Halvorson — our second 2026 concert features another dynamic duo when we present this highly-regarded ensemble: the harmolodic bass legend Tacuma (Ornette Coleman, James "Blood" Ulmer, Marc Ribot) joined by yet another MacArthur "genius" grantee this season, guitarist Halvorson. Advance tickets are on sale at https://jtmh.eventbrite.com.
May 16: gabby fluke-mogul / Charles Burnham — string duos remain the EFW thing with this incendiary gathering of two contemporary violin virtuosi: educator and Creative Music Studio Executive Director fluke-mogul (Pauline Oliveros, William Parker, Ava Mendoza) joining forces with veteran Downtown musician Burnham (Ulmer, John Zorn, Medeski Martin & Wood). Advance tickets are on sale at https://gfmcb.eventbrite.com.
June 27: For Living Lovers ( Brandon Ross / Stomu Takeishi ) — string duos continue into the summer with this celebrated, long-running, unplugged project featuring acoustic guitarist/banjoist/vocalist Ross and acoustic bass guitarist Takeishi, building upon their initial association in the ensembles of Henry Threadgill to craft an innovative, distinctively chamber-like approach to modern string music. Advance tickets are on sale at https://4living.eventbrite.com.
July 18: Ingrid Laubrock / Cecilia Lopez — a duo of very different sort, composer/saxophonist Laubrock and multimedia artist Lopez sculpt otherworldly soundscapes rich with electro-acoustic invention in this startling collaboration. Advance tickets are on sale at https://ilcl.eventbrite.com.
October 24: sinonó ( isabel crespo pardo / Lester St. Louis / Henry Fraser ) — this singular trio highlights three prodigiously talented up-and-coming artists — vocalist/composer crespo, cellist St. Louis and bassist Fraser — who weave together Latin American folk, chamber music, and free improvisation to create a space of inimitable, crackling vitality. Advance tickets are on sale at https://sinono.eventbrite.com.
December 12: PAKT — this prog-prov supergroup closes out our 2026 season in soaring fashion when these four enormously accomplished musicians — guitarists Alex Skolnick (Testament) and Tim Motzer (David Sylvian, David Torn, Jaki Liebezeit), fretless bass guitarist Percy Jones (Brand X, Brian Eno) and drummer Kenny Grohowski (Medeski, Zorn) — perform an completely improvised set of music notable for its peerless, expressive intensity and imagination. Advance tickets are on sale at https://pakt-efw.eventbrite.com.
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